Thai cannabis shop owners fear tighter rules as government plans new marijuana law
Cannabis shop owners said they fear for their businesses as Thai officials seek to impose tighter controls on the lucrative drug trade.
Thai Public Health Minister Pattana Promphat announced on July 7 that the government will push ahead with the draft Cannabis and Hemp Act limiting cannabis use to medical purposes.
Marijuana seller Phadungsit Khongthong, 32, who runs the High Ace cannabis shop in Nonthaburi on the outskirts of Bangkok, said the proposed legislation could affect thousands of dispensaries across the country.
The shaggy-haired shop owner said: 'Cannabis has been sold freely in Thailand for several years without comprehensive legislation regulating the industry.
'However, the proposed law, which would limit cannabis use to medical purposes, would significantly affect cannabis businesses.
'Existing ministerial regulations already require us to have the appropriate licences and a licensed medical practitioner on site, meaning businesses operating without approval would be affected.'
He added that his shop, with its array of bongs and jars containing various cannabis strains, complied with all legal requirements.
He urged the government to 'consider the benefits' of selling cannabis.
He said: 'If cannabis became unavailable, some people might instead turn to kratom, illegal drugs or other substances instead. We're already seeing an increase in the use of illegal cough syrup-based products among young people despite declining cannabis customers.'
Thailand decriminalised marijuana in 2022, making it the first Asian nation to do so.
However, the lack of regulations caused a surge in unregulated sales and use, especially in tourist areas like Bangkok, Phuket, and Pattaya, alongside reports linking the drug to violence and public disorder.
Government officials have sought to outlaw recreational cannabis use by requiring medical certificates to purchase the drug, though enforcement has been lax.
The UK's National Crime Agency said 976 air passengers were caught arriving in the UK with cannabis last year, a sharp increase from 142 in 2023.
While another 600 suspected drug couriers have been arrested at UK airports in the first six months of 2026.
Under the new marijuana law, tighter oversight will be implemented from source to destination, following reports of continued international smuggling and the use of fake licences.
Officials said police will crack down on some 6,000 outlets nationwide with expired permits, and register existing shops into a GPS-based system.
The bill would regulate cannabis from cultivation onwards. At present, cannabis is regulated under the Act on the Protection and Promotion of Thai Traditional Medicine Wisdom and related ministerial regulations, which involves sales, transfers and extraction but not cultivation.
Stricter controls and tougher penalties will also be introduced.
The draft Cannabis and Hemp Control Act, which is expected to be submitted to Parliament, completed its public consultation last month.
Though cannabis is no longer classified as a narcotic in Thailand, the Health Minister noted that it remains illegal in many destination countries, meaning any cross-border movement must also comply with the laws of the receiving country.
